Harper eats seal, celiacs can’t get a break, home butchery on the rise

Seal test: Stephen Harper and some of his cabinet ministers dined on seal meat this week (Photo by Ted Buracas)

• Prime Minister Harper and some of his cabinet cronies dined on seal meat yesterday in Iqaluit. The seal industry was hit with a European trade ban in May, and we’re guessing the PM wants to show some solidarity. A nice gesture, but not as cool as raw seal heart. [Toronto Star]

• A 10-year-old girl and her father were slapped with a $50 fine in Manhattan this weekend for operating a lemonade stand without a licence. The girl’s father says they were approached by officials after selling 10 glasses in 20 minutes. The fine was later dropped. [UPI]

• Some U.S. doctors are pushing to have gluten-free foods prescribed like medicine for celiacs, so that costs can be reimbursed by insurers. Similar systems are already in place in Britain and Italy. No word on reimbursement plans for non-celiac dinner guests who must eat bowls of rice pasta. [New York Times]

• The fight over Big Corn has spread to the editors of Gourmet magazine, who recently debated whether or not to feature corn recipes, given the bad press surrounding industrial treatment of the vegetable. Their reprinted e-mails show that even the highest food editors in the land struggle when shopping at the market. [Gourmet]

• In Britain, at-home butchery is on the rise. Meat shops are offering classes on knife skills and charcuterie: quality meat is a draw, but so are the savings. [Independent]